Pros and Cons of being a Beifong
by Ignorant Sparrow
Summary: There are pros as well as cons to being a Beifong. Lin's gonna be reminded and Opal's gonna be taught. (in response to a Request by Anonim)


"But Lin!" Korra persisted. "They are your family."

"I know what they are Avatar!" Lin said glancing briefly at Opal. "This should be handled diplomatically. Running to Zaofu with a troop of police doesn't sound like a plan here, we need a strategy, we need to take time and do this right. I cannot let my personal attachments interfere."

Opal shot up, with an aggression that was too much for an airbender, but displaying how much of Beifong blood ran through her veins. "I don't think you have any 'personal attachments' to begin with Chief Beifong!" She snarled. "This is a waste of time! Let's go find Grandma Toph!"

"And do what?" Lin rose to her feet as well. "Make her lift an entire mountain and have it dumped on Kuvira? You are as stupid as your idiot mother!"

Opal suddenly bent an aggressive air current at her aunt that made Lin got thrown off the main house to the courtyard out side. "Do not talk about my mother" Opal shouted, advancing on Lin who was slowly getting back up. "I realize you care too little to help out, but that does not give you the right to rotten-mouth her!"

Lin was unconsciously touching her scarred cheek with the back of her left palm as she looked at Opal with stoic eyes. She shrugged off Korra's helping hands and stood tall, her hand still pressed against her face. Tenzin approached them in a sprint. "What is going on here?" He panted, looking at the three standing on the courtyard, Opal in a fighting stance, a nervous Korra by Lin's side who was clutching her face as if she was hurt.

"Opal what are you doing?! Lin, are you hurt?" He said walking towards the chief and trying to remove her hand from her face. Lin jerked away from him. "I'm fine!" She mumbled and turned to Korra. "Walk with me!" She said quietly and turned to leave without so much of a glance at Opal.

Tenzin watched as Korra followed Lin towards the docks. He turned to Opal with a stern look on his face. "Why would you do that?"

"She called my mom an idiot."Opal spat.

"Well, I've heard your aunt call her names a lot worse than 'idiot'." Tenzin said placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "and vice-versa, but that doesn't mean they don't care about each other. I understand why Lin is reluctant to interfere as the chief of police,"

"But-" Opal leaned forward, her fists clenched.

"She's right!" Tenzin went on. "This should be handled diplomatically. You have to understand Opal, Lin cannot drag a police force from republic city to Zaofu at her will."

"She does not care what's at stake." Opal said angrily. "She just acts like they are a bunch of strangers. They are my family, _her_ family"

"Showing affection or been emotional were never Lin's strong suits." Tenzin explained."Not since she got her scars anyway. But she threw her badge away and resigned just to get few of her officers out of Amon's prison. So, you shouldn't judge her too quickly."

Korra approached them with a hung head. She gave Opal a look and turned to Tenzin. "She wants me to try and get Toph back here. She said, she's gonna talk to Raiko and see if a police troop can be arranged together with the united forces. She's gonna make a phone call to Izumi and with her army combined with united forces and the police troops, Lin thinks we'll have a good shot at Kuvira." She stopped again to look at Opal. "Tenzin, she can use some help persuading Raiko. Lin said, to make this look diplomatic, we need Raiko to contact other world leaders."

"Why try and bring Toph here?" Tenzin asked. "What is she planning?"

"She's gonna retire." Korra sighed. "Then she's planning to go to Zaofu with Toph, underground, and bust out Su and the rest, just before we attack." Opal gasped, guilt rising up in her. "Lin thinks Toph is our best chance to detect Kuvira's prison cells, without falling in to her traps."

Opal sat on the steps surrounding the courtyard and buried her face in her arms. Tenzin and Korra sat either side of her. "Did I hurt her?" Opal mumbled, her voice muffled. "Why was she clutching her face?"

"No you didn't." Korra assured. "It was weird though, Lin kept her hand pressed to her face the entire time she talked. She only let it fall when she got on to the ferry."

Tenzin sighed. "Old wounds!" He said. "When you attacked her, she must be strongly reminded of your mother giving her those scars. Lin never healed completely from those."

"WHAT?" Opal and Korra yelped in unison. "Su gave Lin those scars?"

Tenzin fidgeted on the spot uncomfortably. "I- well- I thought you knew, didn't Su tell you the story of why they never talked for thirty years?"

"No." Korra said. "She conveniently left that part out." She turned to Opal, raising an eyebrow "You didn't know either?"

"I knew they had a big fight but not this!" Opal said. "Now I see why she's so depressed when she first came to Zaofu."

"It wasn't easy for Lin after that." Tenzin explained. "She hasn't talk to Toph for a long time either"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Lin punched the dummy in the gymnasium again and again, bending her cables every now and then to swing around, until a cautious looking officer approached her. "Chief, there's someone to see you."

Lin stopped punching the tattered looking dummy and rubbed her bruised knuckles. "Who's it?"

"A young lady who claims to be your niece, Opal Beifong."

Lin sighed. "Send her in." She said walking towards the benches. She sat down and started dabbing her sweat soaked face with a towel.

Opal dragged her feet in to the gymnasium and hesitantly sat next to Lin. Lin gave no indication of acknowledgement. She drew out a bottle of water and drank slowly, letting Opal take her time.

"I-I-" Opal stammered. "Aunt Lin I'm so sorry about earlier." She finally said, kneeling down and placing both her hands on Lin's legs. Lin didn't say anything. She just put the water bottle down and fixed Opal with a stoic stare, again. Opal's hand rose to cup Lin's scarred cheek, "I didn't mean what I said. I'm sorry, I really am!"

Lin flinched as Opal touched her face. Her head tilted slightly to the left, as she scrunched her eyes at the unpleasant sensation, she knew it's in her head, yet she couldn't fight it off. However, Lin did not bat Opal's hand away rudely as she'd have done under normal circumstances.

Opal observed her aunt with sadness. Her fingers gently stroked Lin's scars. "I never knew!" She said quietly. "Mom never told me she was the one who gave you these. Grandma'd always go quiet and moody when the topic was brought up." Opal went on. "I shouldn't have said what I said."

Still Lin didn't say anything. Opal's voice was caught up in her throat by Lin's continued silence. "Aunt Lin, please. I am sorry!"

"It's alright" Lin said finally. Taking Opal's hand in hers and removing it from her face. "You don't have to apologize. I understand."

Opal whimpered once before she rested her head on Lin's lap, hugging Lin's legs tightly. She started crying, for the first time since they escaped from Zaofu. "I'm scared, so scared that I'm losing my mind!" She sobbed as Lin, awkwardly placed a hand on her shaking shoulders. "Kuvira got mom, Wing and Wei in platinum traps. They'd probably got dad and Huan. Junior is working for her. I've never felt so lost!"

Lin found her hand making soothing circles on Opal's back. "I am planning to bust them out. With your grandma at our side, I promise, I'll bring them back."

Opal hugged Lin tighter as she continued to weep. Lin patiently let her pour it all out. Once the sobs subdued Lin carefully made Opal stand up and walked her out of the gym to the Police car park.

"I guess you could use some tea." She said opening the door of her satomobile and holding it ajar for Opal.

"Yeah." Opal replied as she got in to the car. Lin threw her bag to the back seat and got in as well. They drove to Lin's home.

Opal walked right in to the pantry once they arrived. When Lin got back from the shower, wearing a comfy set of pants and a white cotton shirt, she found Opal slumped on her couch, a tray of steaming tea and cookies on the coffee table. For the last three years, Opal had made a habit of visiting Lin at random. So Lin wasn't surprised that she didn't have to be the host for her visitor.

Opal took a mug from the tray and held out for Lin, tilting her head to the cushion next to her. Lin knew Opal was going to start a serious conversation, and from what she heard earlier, Opal would probably ask about her scars. The girl had a nag of getting Lin out of her comfort zone.

Lin sighed. She started towards the couch reluctantly. If it's the story about her scars that she'd rather not re-tell, which is what it takes to keep Opal not getting depressed worrying about her family_, their family_, Lin's gonna have to bare with it, and that's what she'd do.


End file.
